Margin

I am getting older, day by day.  Nothing new about that.  I run more slowly and shorter distances- much shorter distance.  I am slowly losing muscle mass, and I have little to spare.  I am getting fatter as my basal metabolism falls, in part because I am losing muscle.

Old age is not for sissies! 

Of all my losses, the most debilitating loss is the loss of margin.  I can do my job, physically and mentally, but I have almost NO margin.  I am about at my limit.

I work hard, but I get tired- mentally and physically.  I ride my bike into work, and back home, about 3 days per week because of my schedule.  I lift weights twice a week. I run about 3 days per week.

Sounds tiring?  Yes, but in earlier days I could do all these things with plenty of margin to do, think, write, work on other stuff.  That margin is gone.

I think loss of margin is G^d’s way of reminding us that we are NOT long for this world.

You still got plenty of margin?  Great.  Enjoy it, it doesn’t last long.  You’re not long for this world either- no matter how young you are.  Trust me. Even without margin, I know that much.